The dock at the Golden Tooth Pirate Gang's Secret Base.
A jet-black Mecha was hauled out of the spaceship. Its elegant lines, brimming with mechanical beauty, and highly distinctive design immediately drew gasps from the pirates.
Compared with the mismatched, battered Mecha around it, this machine stood head and shoulders above the rest-a young nobleman among a crowd of beggars.
"Is this the loot from this trip? It looks so powerful!"
"This Mecha doesn't just look powerful. We tested it with a small energy cannon earlier. Guess what? We didn't even scratch the paint!"
"Whoa! Doesn't that put it on par with the top Mecha in the Shattered Star Region?"
"When will I get a Mecha like that...?"
"You're a rookie who hasn't even reached bronze, and you want a top-tier Mecha? Are you still dreaming? Even an idiot could tell this Mecha is obviously going to the boss!"
"With this Mecha, the boss should be able to reach gold rank, right?"
"Definitely. We'll finally have a respectable Mecha to field in this year's Black Star League. Maybe our Golden Tooth Pirate Gang will even climb a few places in the Shattered Star Rankings."
"Hey! Have you heard? A big fat mark arrived aboard the Firework. They took this Mecha from him. If he pays his ransom without a fuss, there might be more than one of these!"
"Really? Then we might get a chance too?"
"..."
Amid the pirates' excited discussion, an incongruous question suddenly arose.
"Huh? Look, what's climbing out behind that Mecha?"
Everyone froze, then looked up together.
Looking past the Mecha before them, they saw three jet-black figures climbing out of its Storage Box. The figures slowly stood on its shoulders, then looked down at the pirates below...
"Heh! Quite the welcoming party. I like it!"